George W. Bush called the midterm election in his first term a shellacking.
Posted by Deadline: White House, Checked
- Sources
- 8 contradict
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
Deadline: White HouseOct 22, 2026
The sources attribute the word "shellacking" to Barack Obama's 2010 midterm, which was his first-term midterm, not to George W. Bush. Bush's characterization of his midterm defeat was "thumpin'," and that loss came in 2006, his second term; in his first-term midterm in 2002, his party gained seats.
What we found
Contradicts. Multiple sources say Obama, not Bush, called his first-term 2010 midterm losses a "shellacking." Bush's own term for his midterm setback was "thumpin'."[1][3][4][5][6]
Contradicts. Bush's midterm loss described as a "thumpin'" was the 2006 election, during his second term, not his first term.[3][6][7][8]
Contradicts. In Bush's first-term midterm in 2002, his Republican Party gained House and Senate seats, so there was no defeat for him to call a shellacking.[2]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 2 tier 2, 4 not rated
- 1Trump wants to make this midterm year 'special' to avoid losing Republican control of Congressapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
- 2Do presidents always get “shellacked” in midterm elections?politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: contradicts
- 3Historically, first midterms are cold showers for presidents - NPRnpr.org · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 45 things we learned from the midterm electionspbs.org · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 5President Trump touts 'magic' Senate wins, threatens House Democratspantherswire.usatoday.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 6The midterms didn't produce a wave. Here's what that's meant historicallykuow.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 7The Devastating History Of Midterm Elections | Jefferson Public Radioijpr.org · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 8What Donald Trump will do after the midterms – lose or losetheage.com.au · not rated · cited for: contradicts
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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